Puter

WHAT IS IT?

Puter is an open source "internet computer": an OS in your browser, with a desktop, windows, a file manager and built-in apps (text editor, spreadsheet, terminal, media player, paint…). The whole thing self-hosts via Docker or Node, and exposes cloud APIs (storage, KV store, auth, AI) that third-party apps can consume from the built-in store. It's a Dropbox, a ChromeOS and a PaaS rolled into a single interface.

WHY IS IT INTERESTING?

• Self-hostable and lightweight: Docker compose, or npm start on Node. You take back control over your data instead of relying on iCloud / Google Drive / Dropbox.
• Native web apps: The Puter.js SDK lets you build apps that run inside the desktop, with access to cloud APIs (files, KV, auth) without any backend to deploy.
• AGPL-3.0: Strong copyleft license that forces SaaS forks to publish their code. Keeps improvements inside the ecosystem.
• Iframe sandboxing: Each third-party app runs in an isolated iframe with explicit permissions. You can install third-party code without giving it access to the rest of the system.
• Built-in AI APIs: Text, image and speech-to-text generation exposed as primitives, callable from any app in the desktop.

USE CASES

• Personal cloud workspace: A desktop accessible from any browser, with your files and apps, without Big Tech in the middle.
• Internal team platform: Host a Puter instance on a company network to share files and run web apps without a public cloud.
• Web dev sandbox: Code, publish and test web apps that consume Puter's cloud APIs, without standing up a backend stack.
• ChromeOS alternative: On a thin client, open Puter fullscreen for a minimal browser-driven OS.